Principal Engineer – Nuclear Safety

BAE Systems (New); Preston; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company as a Principal Engineer in Nuclear Safety, where you will play a pivotal role in the Astute and Dreadnought submarine programs. This position allows you to engage deeply with the Naval Reactor Plant's engineering lifecycle, from design reviews to build and commissioning. You will be responsible for ensuring safety compliance and developing technical solutions to challenges faced during construction. With a commitment to diversity and inclusion, this role offers a supportive environment for all candidates. If you're eager to make a significant impact in a critical field, this opportunity is for you.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Enhanced annual leave allowance

Company contributed Share Incentive Plan

Flexible working

Employee assistance programme

Cycle2work

Employee discounts

Annual incentive eligibility

Qualifications

• Degree level qualification in Engineering or Physical Science is essential.
• Understanding of Reactor Plant systems and safety is crucial.

Responsibilities

• Support Nuclear Safety Engineering activities for naval reactor programs.
• Deputise for the Build Assurance Manager as required.

Skills

Technical report writing

Understanding of Reactor Plant systems

Engineering or Physical Science degree

Root Cause Analysis

Leadership in engineering investigations

Education

Degree in Engineering or Physical Science

Job description

Job title: Principal Engineer – Nuclear Safety

Location: Barrow-In-Furness. We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role.

Salary: Competitive

What you’ll be doing:

• Deputising for the PNED Build Assurance Manager as Required
• Supporting or lead Nuclear Safety Engineering activities for the Astute and Dreadnought programme, including resolution of emergent issues during the Build and Commission of the Naval Reactor Plant using application of common Safety Engineering techniques where appropriate
• Act as the Intelligent Customer for documentation, advice, services concerning the Naval Reactor Plant and safety case provided to the company
• Developing sound technical solutions to issues arising during construction and commissioning of the Naval Reactor Plant
• Authoring inputs to the Office of the Chief Engineer advising on the compliance of the “as built” Naval Reactor Plant against design, build and commissioning requirements in support of entry in nuclear build phases
• Carry out nuclear safety assessment of the impact of changes to, and deviations from, the Naval Reactor Plant design intent
• Liaising with both internal and external customers as required ensuring that their requirements are adequately supported and that their needs are fully considered and incorporated where appropriate and agreed

Your skills and experiences:

Essential:

• Degree level qualification (or equivalent) in a relevant subject such as Engineering of Physical Science
• Understanding of the design, build, commissioning, and operation of Reactor Plant systems
• Demonstrable competence of technical report writing

Desirable:

• Engineering experience in design and build of systems, including and understanding of the role that safety and quality play
• Ability to lead engineering investigations, including Root Cause Analysis
• The ability to constructively challenge and influence others, whilst putting forward clear, concise and credible reasoning to support judgements

Benefits:

You’ll receive benefits including a competitive pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance and a Company contributed Share Incentive Plan. You’ll also have access to additional benefits such as flexible working, an employee assistance programme, Cycle2work and employee discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The PNED team:

This role offers you the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the Naval Reactor Plant for both the Astute Class and Dreadnought Class of submarines. The role also provides a rare opportunity to be involved in a broad range of the Engineering Lifecycle for a Naval Reactor Plant, from Engineering Design Reviews through to build, test and commissioning activities, including but not limited to, resolution of emergent issues providing support to the wider PNED teams. We offer relocation support packages across all Submarines roles, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and particularly from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our industry, including women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ individuals. We also want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 17th February 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.